ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: THE BELLS OF PARADISE

If, for whatever reason, you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit, this could well be the concert that unlocks those hitherto-constrained feelings of festive merriment. 

The Coventry born-and-raised Harvey Brough, who’s perhaps most famous from 1980s jazz harmony group Harvey And The Wallbangers, leads local community choir Vox Populi as they perform Christmas carols from around the globe and through the ages.   

Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa, Saturday 20 December

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MIDLANDS HOSPITAL CHOIR SING NOEL, ALLELUIA!

Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist 2024 Denise Leigh is the soprano for this concert of seasonal music, which sees the Midlands Hospitals’ Choir teaming up with the Phoenix Singers. Organist Richard Dawson and the highly rated Gemini Brass also contribute to what promises to be a memorable afternoon of musicmaking. 

Birmingham Town Hall, Sunday 21 December

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THE HALLE ORCHESTRA: VIENNESE NEW YEAR

Admired around the world for their extensive orchestral repertoire, the Manchester-based Halle welcome in the new year with a selection of much-loved waltzes and polkas.  
Stephen Bell is the conductor for a concert that features works by Strauss, Lehar, Suppe, Zeller and Adam. The soloist for the evening is soprano Soraya Mafi (pictured). 

Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 2 January

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CBSO: VIENNESE NEW YEAR

Symphony Hall welcomes in the new year with an afternoon concert performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. 

Highly rated soprano Jennifer France lends her incredible voice to proceedings, as Nil Venditti conducts a selection of playful polkas and wonderful waltzes. 

The programme is approximately two hours in length and includes Die Fledermaus Overture, Champagne Galop, Blue Danube and Mein Herr Marquis.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday 4 January

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THE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Kickstart 2026 by going on an ‘unforgettable musical journey’ with some of the country’s finest young musicians. The evening’s programme features Debussy’s Iberia, Karim Al Zand’s vibrant soundscape of urban life, City Scenes, Anna Clyne’s DANCE - with soloist Inbal Segev - and Maurice Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole. The concert is free to attend for teenagers up to the age of 19.  

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Monday 5 January  

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LI-WEI QIN (CELLO) & JEREMY YOUNG (PIANO)

If you skip a leisurely lunch in favour of catching this hour-long concert, you won’t be disappointed - Chinese-Australian Li-Wei Qin (pictured left) is one of the foremost cellists of his generation. Performing regularly around the world as soloist and chamber musician, he’s also in great demand both as a teacher and jury member for international competitions.

He’s performing here with his longstanding duo partner Jeremy Young (pictured right). One of the UK’s most well-regarded pianists and chamber musicians, Jeremy is also Head of Chamber Music at the Royal Northern College of Music. 

The concert’s programme comprises three pieces: Britten’s Sonata, Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, and Beethoven’s Sonata For Cello And Piano No5 in D major.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Wednesday 14 January

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ROYAL STRING QUARTET

Bringing artistic ingenuity, a penchant for exploration, and a seemingly limitless exuberance to their concerts, Poland’s Royal String Quartet have been making music together for the last quarter of a century, during which time they’ve picked up numerous prestigious awards and nominations. 

This month returning to the Midlands under the Leamington Music banner, they’re performing a concert programme which features Mozart’s String Quartet No13 in D minor, K173, Grażyna Bacewicz’s String Quartet No4, and Brahms’ String Quartet No2 in A minor, Op51 No2.   

Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa, Friday 16 January

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CBSO: CENTRE STAGE

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s Centre Stage season continues in fine style this month with two concerts that give audiences the chance to experience the artistry of the musicians in an intimate setting... The first concert, on the 16th, showcases the best of 20th-century British music in a complimentary combination of the flute and harp. This is followed six days later by a powerful performance of all-American string repertoire. Both concerts have a 2pm start-time.

CBSO Centre, Birmingham, Friday 16 January & Thursday 22 January  

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CBSO: KAZUKI CONDUCTS RHAPSODY IN BLUE 

Rhapsody In Blue, widely considered to be one of the great American masterpieces of classical music, is also one of the most hastily composed, with George Gershwin setting about producing it a mere 36 days before its premiere. 

His reason for working at such a frenetic pace? He didn’t even know he was supposed to be writing it!...
While relaxing one night with his brother, Ira, and lyricist Buddy DeSylva, he found out from a newspaper that he was apparently contributing to a concert of all-new music which was being performed five weeks later to celebrate the anniversary of former president Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

And so Gershwin set to work on what was to become one of the most celebrated symphonic pieces of the 20th century... 

The pianist for this Symphony Hall performance of the work is Stewart Goodyear... 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 21 January 

 

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ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: NIGHT MUSIC

An exploration of the varied sound world of the string orchestra lies at the heart of the Orchestra of the Swan’s opening concert of 2026.

Alongside performances of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade For Strings, Night Music also features Richter’s On The Nature Of Daylight and Piazzolla’s Double Concerto For Accordion, Guitar And Strings, for which guitarist Craig Ogden and accordion player Miloš Milivojević (pictured) join the orchestra. The concert has a 3pm start-time. 

Warwick Hall, Sunday 25 January 

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LONDON HANDEL PLAYERS

“From the smallest forces, duos, trios and quartets,” explain the London Handel Players, “our ensemble expands to flute and recorder with strings and harpsichord  to present a vast repertoire of gems from the 17th and 18th centuries.”

Currently celebrating their 25th season of concert performances, the Players’ Huntingdon Hall programme sees them performing compositions by, among others, Telemann, Hotteterre, Rameau, JS Bach, and of course, Handel.

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Sunday 25 January

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THE ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Much-loved period-instrument ensemble The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment head to Coventry late this month to present an evening of music both written and inspired by Mozart. 

The programme features the composer’s A Little Night Music and Clarinet Concerto swan-song, presented alongside an elegant Overture from Arriaga (aka the Spanish Mozart) and an entertaining Divertimento from Michael Haydn. 

Katherine Spencer (pictured) features on clarinet.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wednesday 28 January

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ALIM BEISEMBAYEV PIANO RECITAL

Kazakhstan-born Alim rose to international prominence after the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021, during which his performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra - secured him first prize. 

Two years later, he won the hearts of Potteries audiences when he appeared in the Stoke-on-Trent Classics series, his masterful performance ensuring that any and all return visits to the region would be eagerly anticipated. 

This latest Stoke stop-off sees Alim performing works by Schubert (Moments Musicaux and Wanderer Fantasy) and Liszt (Sonata in B minor). 

Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thursday 29 January

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POLINA OSETINSKAYA

Polina Osetinskaya is riding on the crest of a wave professionally, having recently given a series of triumphant recitals at venues across Europe, an engagement that saw her perform three of Prokofiev’s piano concertos in a single concert. Accompanist to revered Soviet-born Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov, she visits Shrewsbury for this Shropshire Music Trust concert prior to appearing with him at the Barbican Centre in London.

St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Friday 30 January

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BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: MENDELSSOHN'S HYMN OF PRAISE

One of the city’s oldest musical groups here invites enthusiasts to join them in an afternoon workshop and informal performance of Mendelssohn’s Hymn Of Praise, which premiered in 1840. 

“We will be focused, of course, on the cantata part,” says Birmingham Bach Choir’s conductor, Paul Spicer, “singing in English, for which Mendelssohn assembled passages from Luther’s translation of the Bible that show the progression of light to darkness.

With fabulous choruses, soprano and tenor solos, and the familiar Now Thank We All Our God, this will be a rewarding sing for all who come.”

Selly Oak Methodist Church, Birmingham, Saturday 31 January